Q&a With Nicolas Cage

Actor's conundrum: Finding the truth in pretense

September 11, 2003|By Terry Armour, Tribune entertainment writer.

Nicolas Cage is in the middle of one of those slow burns he usually reserves for his on-screen personas. His eyes widen as he relives a recent run-in with an angry motorist, and his histrionics at one point become so intense he has to smooth out what has now become a ruffled black suit.

As Cage tells it, he was stuck in one of those infamous Los Angeles traffic jams with his young son, Weston, when some guy "who was about 350 pounds and said he had just gotten out of prison" began hurling a string of profanities at Cage. It seems the guy's wife had recognized the 39-year-old actor and, well, thought he was kind of cute. That didn't sit well with the driver, who proceeded to tell Cage all the things he was going to do to him if Cage chose to step out of the car.

"I was in a good mood that day, and he just decided he was going to call me out," Cage says incredulously as he leans forward on the couch in his Chicago hotel room. "I'm saying to this guy, `Man, I don't want to fight you,' but he won't stop. He's like, `Who's the man? Who's the man?' I said, `Fine, you're the man. I'm happy for you. I'm OK with that, just leave me alone.' "

It sounds like a scene from one of the Academy-Award-winning actor's many films, which include 1983's "Valley Girl," 1987's "Moonstruck" and last year's "Adaptation," for which Cage received a best actor Oscar nomination.

His latest film, "Matchstick Men," which opens Friday, already has critics talking Oscar consideration for Cage, who won a best actor statuette for his portrayal of a hopeless drunk in 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas." In "Matchstick Men," directed by Ridley Scott, Cage plays a con man with obsessive-compulsive disorder whose teen daughter (Alison Lohman) suddenly moves in with him. Sam Rockwell stars as Cage's partner in crime.

The Tribune recently talked with Cage about his career.

Q. How would you describe your work as an actor?

A. I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of getting across the truth in the behavior of whatever character it is that I'm playing. I realize that's sort of a weird thing because when you think about acting, ultimately, it's pretending. That's the conundrum.

Q. In "Matchstick Men," your character Roy suffers with obsessive-compulsive disorder, including nervous tics. Did you research the condition?

A. I knew enough about this condition -- obsessive-compulsive disorder -- from a friend of mine who has it, and I knew a lot of the times in the more acute cases, tics are a part of that spectrum. I thought it would, behaviorally, be more interesting if we introduced that element because I hadn't seen it before in a movie. But I also wanted to be careful not to make fun of the condition. You may see some elements of humor in Roy's behavior but, clearly, you also see how frustrating it is for him.

Q. Ridley Scott credits you for bringing both humor and vulnerability to the role.

A. With Ridley it was truly a return, for me, to more of that creative, out-of-the-box role that happened early in my career. Ridley really encouraged me to go back there again, and add something to the character.

Q. Which of your movies are your personal favorites?

A. "Valley Girl" was a breakthrough role for me because that was the first time I changed my name and I got the job as "Nicolas Cage" -- people didn't know I was related to Francis Ford Coppola. Up to that point, I was really accused by other young actors in Hollywood of not really having the goods because I was Francis Ford Coppola's nephew.

Q. You also have a special attachment to "Moonstruck."

A. I was just amazed by Cher -- that she would see "Peggy Sue Got Married," where I really went out on a limb playing this character like Pokey from the Gumby show -- and say, "I want to work with that guy." [Laughs] I still don't quite understand it, but she championed for me to be in the movie. There was a little touch-and-go there with [director] Norman [Jewison] and I almost lost the job. She really fought for me.

Q. Elvis pops up in "Wild at Heart" and "Honeymoon in Vegas." What's your fascination with Elvis?

A. [Laughs] That is a total coincidence. With "Wild at Heart," I had read a book called "An Actor Prepares" by [Constantine] Stanislavski. One of his rules is that you can not imitate anybody. I thought that rule should be broken [laughs]. I selected Elvis because I had never seen him make a movie like "Wild at Heart" and thought, "What would happen if you put him in that kind of world?" David Lynch loved the idea and we went for it. It's totally absurd, but I wanted to just have fun with it and freak people out.

Q. I've also read that you place 1987's "Raising Arizona" high on your personal moviemaking list.

A. The Coen Brothers were very specific about what they wanted. With my character, I was sort of trying to go out on a limb and come up with my own ideas. At first they were quite nervous about working with me, and during the rehearsal process they were getting scared [laughs]. But at the end of the day when I look at the movie, it's definitely one of my favorite movies that I have made. It was a good collaboration. At the time, I had a lot of ideas and I'm sure I wasn't that easy to work with.

Q. So you consider yourself difficult to work with?

A. Maybe earlier in my career. I was very headstrong and trying to figure out what I was doing, so I believed in sticking to my guns. But after doing it for 22 years, I have cultivated a rapport with directors. I know that it's about collaboration and trying to fit well within their vision. And I've had a much happier existence because of it [laughs].